PINK HILL — The second annual Pink Hill Rose Festival will be held Saturday at the Pink Hill Wellness and Education Center.

Hosted by the Pink Hill Area Preservation and Development Committee, an all-volunteer organization, the festival celebrates Pink Hill’s heritage and the proceeds support the Wellness Center.

“Not all small towns can supply a fitness center affordable and beneficial for all age groups,” Jennifer Murphy, chairwoman of publicity and sponsorship, said. “With our Wellness Center, we provide educational opportunities along with wellness classes and equipment in one convenient location.”

The festival, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., will include a 5K run/walk, chili cook-off, Rose Court crowning, antique tractor and car show and dance and Zumba demonstrations. There will also be co-ed softball, golf and cornhole tournaments.

Barbecue lunch plates will be sold by the Pink Hill Fire Department.

Inflatables, children’s games, live musical performances, food, vendors and health screenings by local physicians and area hospitals will be available throughout the day. The event will conclude with a public dance.

Entry fee for the softball tournament is $200 per team. For information, contact Megan McMahon at 910-372-3469.

Chili cook-off teams need to check in by 2 p.m. Ingredients may be prepared offsite, but the cooking must be done at the festival site. Cooking may begin upon arrival.

Teams must provide their own ingredients, cooking gas, utensils and table presentations. Bowls, spoons, napkins and crackers will be supplied. The cooking pot should hold at least 12 quarts of chili.

Tasting will be held from 4:30-6:30 pm. Trophies will be presented for first and second place, based upon popular vote for taste and presentation, and overall by a team of judges.

Rose Courtwinners will be announced prior to the dance Saturday evening at the Pink Hill gym. There are a number of categories for contestants. For information, call Yvonne Deatherage at 252-560-4073.

The festival was the brainchild of Alice Scott, president of the Preservation and Development Committee. The committee organized the first festival last year to help fund the Wellness Center, built in 1999 at the historic Pink Hill Elementary School.

“It was a community effort,” Scott said. “… It was an opportunity to bring the community together and to raise some funds for our Wellness and Education Center.”

Area hospitals, Lenoir Community College and Lenoir County Cooperative Extension partner with the Wellness Center to provide a variety of programs, including Zumba, computer, karate and pharmacy tech classes.

Scott said last year’s festival grossed more than $12,000, but she is expecting more this year because there are more sponsors. The proceeds support the Wellness Center’s operational expenses, as well as educational materials and supplies, she said.

Page 2 of 2 - The preservation committee hopes to renovate the former 7,000-square-foot media and administrative building, as well as a 1949 two-story classroom building, at the site. Plans are to turn the admin into a community center, Scott said.

The committee also plans to open the community marketplace again this season, she said.

Applications are available for the 5K walk/run, Pink Hill princess/prince and golf, cornhole and softball tournaments. Vendor space is still available.

For more information, contact the Wellness Center at www.pinkhillrosefestival.com, phapdc@gmail.com or 252-568-2425.

Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.